Westwin Elements To Invest $502 Million in Natchez

Oct 7, 2026 - MS Business Journal

Nickel refinery to be established at Belwood Industrial Site

Westwin Elements, America’s only Class 1 nickel refinery, announced plans to invest

$502 million over five years to establish a commercial-scale Class 1 nickel refinery at

the Belwood Industrial Site in Natchez. The project is expected to create 134 full-time

jobs in its first phase of commercial operations, at an average annual salary of

approximately $84,000. The investment marks a significant step toward building

America’s domestic critical mineral refining capacity.

The Natchez facility will build on Westwin’s experience at its 20-tonne-per-year

demonstration plant in Lawton, Oklahoma, which has completed multiple production

campaigns of on-spec Class 1 nickel powder using nickel carbonyl refining technology.

Westwin has completed a Bankable Feasibility Study for the Natchez site and secured a

long-term lease for the Belwood site. The first phase of the project plans to produce

18,000 tonnes of Class 1 nickel annually, with commissioning targeted for 2029.

Binding feedstock and offtake agreements already in place support production and

revenue projected for the first phase of the project, ensuring the refinery’s early

success upon completion of its construction.

The project is expected to create 134 full-time jobs in the first phase. Westwin plans to

provide paid benefits for employees and their dependents.

“Westwin was founded with the mission of delivering a win for the West and restoring

the blue-collar American dream by bringing a critical industry back home,” said

KaLeigh Long, founder and CEO of Westwin Elements. “The Natchez site gives us the

capacity to produce American-made Class 1 nickel at scale, strengthening a critical

domestic supply our country needs while creating high-paying careers.”

The Belwood site offers the infrastructure and logistical advantages needed to support

commercial-scale production, including immediate proximity to Natchez’s inland port

and access to transportation networks serving the region.High-purity Class 1 nickel is used in national defense, aerospace, advanced

manufacturing, specialty alloys, energy and other industrial applications. Developing

domestic refining capacity is critical to reducing U.S. dependence on foreign

processing and strengthening the supply chains that support those industries.

“Westwin’s selection of the Belwood Industrial Site is the result of an extensive site-

selection and due-diligence process and represents an important milestone for both

the company and our community,” said Chandler Russ, Executive Director of Natchez,

Inc. “Belwood’s Mississippi River access, industrial infrastructure, available land and

ability to support a project of this scale made Natchez a strong fit for Westwin’s long-

term plans. We are proud to have been selected and look forward to continuing our

work with Westwin, the Mississippi Development Authority, Entergy and our local

partners as the company advances the financing, engineering and permitting

necessary to move this significant project toward construction.”

Construction of the Belwood refinery has not yet begun and remains subject to the

completion of financing, permitting, engineering and other requirements. Westwin is

working with the state and local partners to advance the project toward the planned

commissioning of Phase 1 in 2029.